cheap paint job options

[75k20]

got rid of the flatbed i got my truck on and when i get a factory bed i’m gonna have to paint it so it’s just one solid color. i’m on as small of a budget i can get. the truck is old and rusty and i don’t care about having a shiny paint job on it.

i’ve seen people do primer paint jobs and just leave it at that but i’ve heard that water can still oxidize underneath. another option would be a rustoleum paint job, most likely thinned out and sprayed out of a harbor freight gun. the truck was painted black last so i will probably stick with black or a dark grey. what’s the best option here?

 

[Big Chip]

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[hoagster]

Whats your budget and can you do it yourself?

 

[75k20]

Whats your budget and can you do it yourself?

the lower the budget the better, i couldn’t see myself wanting to spend more than a couple hundred at most. and yes i haven’t paited a car before but i’m confident i can do it

 

[hoagster]

New bed will have what they call and ecoat or edp on it if it's new. It will be black. You need to scuff that apply a coat of primer. Typically a direct to anything or a forever seal. Then you can shoot anything on it if you don't care! The base color is what is expensive. So Tractor supply use tractor paint durable and get a gun that while spray both. If its a used bed sand it down and do the same. research the web all kinds of info its just the prep and spraying part that is hard to make it look right.

I never sprayed a automobile before and after the quotes I got to do my truck I decided I would learn how.

 

[80BrownK10]

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Ha! I'm watching episode 3 of the LS Crew Cab right now as I'm on the forum.

 

[Big Chip]

Ha! I'm watching episode 3 of the LS Crew Cab right now as I'm on the forum.

Me too!

 

[fast 99]

About the only thing that can be done for [may be] a couple hundred is seal it. Paint has gotten very expensive. I have heard of certain colors being $300-400 a quart. Square bodies have a lot of surface area especially if the inside of the bed is painted. There are etching sealers for bare metal. Even items like tape and that mask the guy in the video had on add up. Primer/surfacers will suck up moisture.

 

[Snoots]

House paint.

 

[75k20]

House paint.

like rustoleum? and i could thin it out

 

[Joshua Keith]

I’d buy a cheap epoxy primer on eBay, then spray a single stage over it. White will hide the most flaws and black will show the most. Stay away from anything metallic as the metallic will lay in every scratch.

As far as prep goes. 320 grit over the truck. If you want to go a step beyond. hit it with 400 grit after the 320. The reason why I say buy an epoxy is because new paint can react very badly to old paint if they aren’t compatible. The epoxy will put a buffer layer to avoid that from happening.

Spray couple coats of epoxy. Read topcoat times.

Spray couple coats of eBay single stage.

 

[Grit dog]

New bed will have what they call and ecoat or edp on it if it's new. It will be black. You need to scuff that apply a coat of primer. Typically a direct to anything or a forever seal. Then you can shoot anything on it if you don't care! The base color is what is expensive. So Tractor supply use tractor paint durable and get a gun that while spray both. If its a used bed sand it down and do the same. research the web all kinds of info its just the prep and spraying part that is hard to make it look right.

I never sprayed a automobile before and after the quotes I got to do my truck I decided I would learn how.

I doubt the OP is buying a brand new bed if he has a $200 paint budget.
But to the point of the rest of your reply, he needs to decide if this is a “keep it from rusting while sitting outside “ project or an actual paint job.

 

[Grit dog]

@75k20
You can shoot a single stage paint (or base coat fwiw) over properly prepped paint and you do not need to prime it except where there’s bare metal and rust. And if you’re not fixing the rust, slobber any of the rust inhibitor paints on those areas first. So for a spray bomb job you won’t need a lot of primer. Assuming you don’t have to remove bad or peeling paint anywhere.
Idk how many paint jobs the truck has on it already or your future plans. If the plan is ever to restore it “right”, resist the urge of adding yet another coat of cheap paint done half assed on top of what’s there. Just more to deal with and remove later.
Assuming a restoration is never on the docket, you still want something that will last a while and look decent from across the parking lot , right?
Assuming this isn’t a garage queen, sun/UV damage is the biggest challenge.
If you’re even considering doing an actual Rustoleum Rebuild, know that it won’t last long in the Cali sun.
And yes, paint prices are also much higher than recent past….thanks Brandon, but you can still get a gallon of quality urethane (5qts ish sprayable typically) for at or under $200. That will just aboot do the whole truck exterior surfaces only, if you’re careful.

 

[Grit dog]

And consider Tamco paint. I know I probably sound like a paid advertisement but they’re about the cheapest real auto paint you can buy and about the best quality at the same time.
On your budget compare their different single stage paints to the “budget” paints like Eastwood, TCP etc.

 

[WP29P4A]

You know when you go to Home depot or Lowes in the paint department they have the discounted paint, where someone asked the employee to mix paint and then didn't pick it up. Or the employee just oopsed and mixed it wrong. They mark it way down and put it on the discount shelf. Well I would imagine this probably happens at the auto paint stores also. I would call a couple auto paint stores in the area and ask if they have any deals on "discounted paint" I think there is a good chance of finding something inexpensive and better than hardware store products, and it would only take 15 minutes and 4 phone calls to see if this is an option. Just a thought.